Amusement device.



No. 884,340. PATENTIID APR. 7, 1908.

' A. J. NORTHGRAPT.

-AMUSEMENT DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED .TUNE B, 1907.

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AMBRO J. NORTHORAFT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

.AMUSEMEN T DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patenti Patented April 7, 1908.

Application filed June 8, 1907. Serial No. 377,858.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, AMBRO J. CRAFT, a citizen of the United States', and resident-of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Devices, of which the following 1s a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof. v

My invention relates to an amusement device, my object being to construct a simple, inexpensive device, provided with a number of objects forming targets at which missiles or projectiles are thrown, and which targets when struck will swing rearwardly and downwardly, and release an object which is delivered to the contestant or player Who hits the target.

To the above purposes, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of my'improved device, and showing a frame with a series of targets thereon; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the frame with one of the targets removed, and showing the magazine and object releasing mechanism; Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

The frame of my improved device oomprises a horizontally disposed member 1, and secured thereto and extending rearwardly from the bottom thereof is a horizontally disposed member 2, in the front portion of which, at suitable distances apart, are formed a series of openings 3.

Fixed to the under side of the member 2, immediately below each opening 3, is a hopper 4, which communicates with the upper rear end of a chute 5, which extends forward from the frame and gradually declines to the point occupied by the persons making use of the amusement device. The targets 6, which in the present instance are in the form of fowls, are constructed of wood, or of metal plates, and are normally positioned immediately above the top edge of the member 1, and are fixed to the upright plates 7 of hinges, the horizontal plates 8 of which are fixed to the member l immediately Nonanto the rear of the openings 3. By this arrangement, the targets, when normally positioned, lean forward at a slight angle relative the member 1, and thus cannot e readily jarred so as to swing rearwardly into a horizontal plane when a projectile or missile strikes an adjacent target or the member 1 of the frame.

Fixed to the rear side of the member 1, adjacent-each of the openings 3, -is an inclined tubular magazine 9, which is adapted to contain the objects which are released whenever one of the targets is struck, and the mouthof each magazine being arranged at the side of the corresponding opening 3; and fixed to the corresponding side of the vertical member 7 of the adjacent hinge is a plate 10, which, when the target is in a vertical position, prevents the lowermost rone ofthe objects from discharging from the lower yend of the magazine into the hopper 4.

A cut-off for preventingl the discharge 4of more than one object at a time from the magazine comprises a rock shaft 11 which is journaled in the corner between the members 1 and 2, immediately in front and to the right of each opening 3, and the left hand end of said rock shaft being bent forwardly, as designated by 12, and normally occupying a horizontal position immediately below the discharge end of the magazine 9.

Formed in this rock shaft, at the right hand end of the opening 3, is a forwardly projecting bend, such as 13, and the extreme right hand end of the rock shaft is bent forwardand upward, as designated by 14; and to the end of this last mentioned portion is secured one end of a retractile coil spring 15, the upper end of which is secured to the rear side of the member 1.

Fixed to the right hand side of each vertical plate 7 of the hinge is a rearwardly proj ecting curved finger 16, which normally bears on top of the forward bend 13 of the rock shaft, thus maintaining the forward bent left hand end 12 in a position below the discharge end of the magazine 9.

When my improved device is set up for use, the targets 6 occupy positions immediately above the to` of the member 1, and the magazines 9 are ililed with objects, the lowermost ones of which bear directly against the plates 10 carried by the vertical plates 7 of the hinges4 Proj ectiles or missiles are thrown by the participants of the game at the targets 6, and when one of the latter is struck, it will swing rearwardly and downwardly into a horizontal plane on top of the member 2. This action carries the plate 10 away from the discharge end of the corresponding magazine, and the lowermost one of the objects contained in said magazine is free to pass through the corresponding openings 3 into the ho per 4, and from thence to the chute 5, throug which it travels until delivered to the forward end thereof, which terminates at the point occupied by the players or participants of the game.

When one of the targets is struck and swung rearward, the curved finger 16 leaves the corresponding bend 13 in the adjacent rock shaft 11, owing to the action of the retractile coil s ring 15, and the left hand end 12 of said roc i shaft immediately swings upward into the center of the discharge end of the magazine 9, thus preventing the discharge of more than one of the objects contained in said magazine.

When the targets which have b een struck and thrown rearwardly are again elevated into their set positions, the shaft 11 will be rocked so as to move the left hand end 12 downward, and the corresponding plate 10 will be brought into position immediately in front of the discharge end of the magazine.

An amusement device of my improved construction `is sim le, inexpensive, easily set up, can be playe by any number of ersons, and provides a pleasant pastime an affords much amusement to the players.

1. In a device of the class described, a frame, a target hinged at its lower end to said frame and adapted to swing downward into a horizontal plane when struck, a magazine arranged in the frame adjacent the target for containing a series of objects, a spring actuated cut off arranged on the frame with one end adjacent the discharge end of the magazine, and a plate carried by the target and normally occupying a position infront of the discharge end of the magazine.

2. In a device of the class described, a frame, a target hinged at its lower end to said frame and adapted to swing downward into a horizontal plane when struck, a magazine arranged in the frame adjacent the target for containing a series of objects, a spring actuated cut ofil arranged on the frame with one end adjacent the discharge end of the magazine, a plate carried by the target and normally occupying a position in front of the discharge end of the magazine, and a chute leading from the frame below the mouth of the magazine for receiving the objects discharged therefrom.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AMBRO J. NORTHCRAFT.

' Witnesses: j

M. P. SMITH, E. L. WALLACE. 

